How to create Pinterest video pins that convert
Last Updated on April 14, 2022
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I’m going to get into a topic that I know a few people have been talking a lot about recently, and that is Pinterest video pins.
I saw huge results on Pinterest in 2021 and that’s because I implemented one simple thing into my strategy.
I’ve started to do one thing differently that has skyrocketed my growth.
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Pinterest video pins!
With Pinterest, there were also some changes happening – one that had a lot of people saying, Wait, are there videos on Pinterest?
In fact, 2021 was the year of updates and new features for the platform which can be both exciting and frustrating (especially if you own a Pinterest course).
A lot of Pinterest users (particularly bloggers) have been frustrated about not seeing as much growth on Pinterest.
And one of the reasons for that could be because video pins have taken over Pinterest and businesses are not keen on creating them and implementing video pins into their marketing strategy.
But video pins are one of the best ways to grow your account right now. And knowing how to create a video pin on Pinterest will give you a massive leg up if you are using Pinterest for business.
So what is Pinterest video? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a pin with moving images or text.
If you look at Pinterest search results yourself, you’ll see that the video pins are the first ones that catch your eye. This is why people were seeing huge results on Pinterest with video pins because they’re so eye-catching.
In January of 2021, I started to get into Pinterest again. I had a little break over the holidays where I kind of stopped posting and I just forgot to fill up my Tailwind schedule. Now obviously because of that my growth was stagnant.
I decided to do something different to start the year off with a bang, so I decided to start repurposing some video content for Pinterest.
5 ways to create video pins
1. Repurposing Tik Toks
I’ve been obsessed with Tik Tok lately. Maybe a little bit too much because I now have to use an app that blocks me from going on the app for more than 1 hour per day.
Tik Tok is such an interesting platform and I have found it such an incredible new place to create engaging content. It reminds me of when I first started on Instagram.
I’m having fun learning all about this app, especially as the process of filming and editing has always been fun for me.
And the good news is that if you know how to make a Tik Tok video, then you also know how to make a Pinterest video. You just need to learn how to upload video on Pinterest.
From a user point of view – I love the content too. It’s very engaging, very addictive, and just a fun way to waste hours.
Tik Tok is by far the most addictive platform that I have been on because the content is fast, to the point, and usually pretty funny. With video content taking over these days, the platform has taken over the world by storm.
I’ve been making lots of videos on Tik Tok and because I had this huge volume of content that I was creating on the platform, I decided to start to repurpose that for Pinterest.
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My repurposing Tik Tok to Pinterest flow goes like this:
- Create + post the Tik Tok
- Go to the ‘Tik Tok downloader’ app to download my video without the watermark.
- Then I upload that to a google drive folder so I can access the videos from my computer
- Upload all the videos from google drive to Tailwind once a per or sometimes fortnightly.
- Input titles, descriptions, URLs (lots of Pinterest keywords of course!)
- Hit schedule!
I do this process on either a Monday or a Friday. I will create a week’s worth of content and then upload it all into Google drive and then do this whole process.
By batching your Tik Tok and Pinterest video upload content you’re saving hours. So if you haven’t tried it before, I highly recommend it!
Update: I now mostly repurpose my tik toks for Idea pins and use the use the next 2 points to create video pins.
When I started to upload my Tik Toks to Pinterest I started to see huge results. The results were almost instant, as well.
If you haven’t experimented with Pinterest video content yet I highly recommend you do it. And there are a few different ways that you can do this.
You can opt to do the same process as me and learn how to add reels to Pinterest. To do this, create Instagram reels, then use Instagram reels, upload and add video to Pinterest via Tailwind, and schedule it out.
If you need to know how to upload a video pin on Pinterest via Tailwind, or just learn more about the program, you can read my full Tailwind review.
Before you upload your tik toks to Pinterest you should make sure that it is relevant to Pinterest and your niche. Dancing and trends on Tik Tok don’t necessarily translate to Pinterest.
Pinners are not interested in seeing tik tok content on the platform so that’s why you need to make sure that with every piece of content you repurpose that you do it with intention.
2. Adding a GIF element
If you don’t create video content, you can create normal pins in Canva but add a GIF. When you do this, you’re making your pin from a normal picture to a video pin.
That is why I love creating all my pins using Canva because it gives you thousands of amazing gifs to add. I use the pro version of Canva, and you get so many more options with it.
If you’re on the free version, you will have limited options.
Some of my favourite gifs are the glitter ones, moving arrows and pointers. You could get really creative with this.
3. Animating your pin
Within Canva you will also see the option to animate different elements of your pin.
You could animate the text so that it fades in for example. This is another super-easy way to go from standard pins to video pins without the overwhelming creation part.
There are tonnes are great animation options such as rise, pan, fade and even breathe.
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4. Adding video content within pins on Canva
This option is what people think when they think of creating Pinterest video pins. For those totally lost on how to make video on Pinterest, Canva makes the process fun and super easy.
If you have video footage you can insert that into Canva, then add your text elements over top, download video pin, and upload it to Pinterest via Tailwind.
If you don’t have video content, you can always use the stock video footage that comes with Canva. Again, I have the pro version, so you get unlimited options.
I also try and make the effort when I’m in a beautiful place, that maybe has a nice backdrop, I will get my phone out and take a 10-second clip.
Make sure you have a tripod, or you have leaned your phone against something so the footage is not shaky.
Once I have those sorts of clips I will upload them all to Canva so I have them there if I need them for pin creation.
We also have a drone which I find makes the best video footage ever for pins! The videos always blow me away.
5. Repurpose your Instagram stories
If you’re creating Instagram stories you could also repurpose content from here and make it into a video pin!
My recommendations would be to only use stories that have no Instagram text or Instagram elements. I would save the video before you add a text to it on Instagram stories.
You want to do that because pinners are not interested in seeing Instagram on Pinterest. That’s why it’s also important to remove any watermarks too.
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Pinterest video pins – Is it worth it?
Although it might seem daunting at first, figuring out how to make a video pin on Pinterest is completely worth the effort.
Pinterest video has given me incredible growth for months now and it’s not slowing down.
I challenge you all to experiment with video pins. It might seem daunting to figure out how to create Pinterest video pins, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll
I’m sure you have some videos, even if it’s from an Instagram story, you can easily download that and upload them to Pinterest, and input a URL that’s related to the pin like a freebie, blog post, Facebook group, etc.
Be sure to repurpose your content because remember you have so much content already. Now it’s the perfect time to repurpose your video content to Pinterest, and I would love to see your results from this.
Try integrating normal pins with video pins and see what your Pinterest results are 90 days later. I can almost guarantee you will see amazing results from this.
This is one of the many reasons why I love Pinterest. It’s easy to use and to get results if you are consistent with it and know exactly how to use Pinterest to your advantage.
Keeping up with the Pinterest updates
Pinterest is an ever-growing platform and 2021 was really the year of feature implementation which can be hard to keep up with.
Make sure you follow me over on Instagram to keep up with the latest Pinterest news and how to use any new features.
In 2021 we also saw the new feature of idea pins. This has excelled video content on Pinterest even more. As many platforms are doing, video content is king and it’s not going anywhere so you have two options.
- Embrace change
- Get left behind
I know video content can be intimidating but hopefully, with the above steps, I have given some ideas on how you can implement them without overwhelm and stress.
I know when business owners hear the words ‘video content’ they can freak out a bit, but it doesn’t have to be something scary.
If you don’t have footage, you can simply implement the gif elements or animate your pins instead. That takes 2 seconds to do.
Showing your face though is one way to build major trust with your audience and that goes for any platform that you are on. Every day try and show up on your Instagram story and share a piece of value with your audience.
After you have done it a few times you will soon get used to it and become more confident showing up on video.
Bonus Pinterest tip!
If you want to excel your results on Pinterest, you have to start treating it like a search engine too. Don’t forget to use lots of viral keywords in your:
- Pin titles (This is the header of your pin)
- Pin descriptions (this is used to describe the pin. You should add lots of keywords in here that relate to your topic)
- Profile name (Add 1-2 keywords within your name to make it searchable)
- Profile description (This is your bio for your account. Try and explain who you help and how you help them and include keywords for your niche)
- Board titles (make them simple and to the point. You want your boards to be searchable)
- Board descriptions (You get 500 characters to explain your boards, make sure you use them all!)
You need to be using a lot of keywords within Pinterest because Pinterest is a search engine. When trying to think of keywords to use, think about what your ideal customer or reader is possibly typing into Pinterest.
There are a few different ways to do keyword research on Pinterest, this blog post gives you the best Pinterest SEO tips you need to read in order to get started.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It’s actually the same as pinning a regular pin, you just have to set a few more parameters when first uploading it. But once you have selected to ‘create pin’ it’s incredibly straightforward.
Relevant video pins will naturally start to appear in your searches and on your homepage. However, if you want to find video pins specifically, add ‘video’ to the end of any search and that will bring up more video results.
So long as it is less than 2GB in size, a video pin can be anywhere from 4 seconds to 15 minutes. However, unless it really needs to be longer, generally shorter is better.
If you have any further questions about how to create video pins for Pinterest, leave them down below!
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